As Time Flies.....Chapter 21
Last time: Sam and Bo aren't suitable donor matches for Ben. Bo took it like a man, while Sam took it out on everyone else. Ben refused to ask for help from his Buchanan relatives.
Llanview Hospital - Room #416
Sam was exhausted. He wished Larry would return with Matthew so he could go home. Bo had gone across the hall to check on Ben and Viki. Sam was thrilled that he was finally alone with Nora, but he wished he had more energy so he could plead his case with her. He loved her so much!
Sam had to try one more time. He wanted to know where he stood. "Stinger? I want to apologize for my behavior today. I got so angry because I'm afraid, afraid of losing you and Matthew. You two are my whole world, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you both. I'm sorry." Sam took Nora's hand in his own.
"I panicked when Bo told me what Lindsay had done. I didn't want to believe it. I do know how you feel about the truth, but I just couldn't deal with the possibility of losing Matthew. On top of that, now I may lose my brother. I guess I just went off the deep end." Sam sighed.
"Sam, I know how you must be feeling about Ben. But no matter what happens, we have to know the truth about Matthew. There's too much at stake here. I want you to agree to take another DNA test. Will you do that?" Nora asked.
"Answer a question for me first, okay, Nora?" Nora nodded. "I want the truth. What happens if Matthew isn't my son?" Sam was scared. He didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer.
Nora sighed. She was hoping that she and Sam could have had this conversation later, but here it was. There was no time like the present.
"The truth is, Sam, if you're asking about our relationship, it won't matter whose son Matthew is..."
"Oh, Stinger, I'm so happy! I love you so much! I knew you'd say that!" Sam jumped up and planted a wet kiss on Nora's lips. Nora didn't kiss him back. She looked angry. Sam was confused.
"Sam, you interrupted me! I was going to say that it wouldn't matter whom Matthew's father is, because our relationship is over. I've had a lot of time to think, and while I do love you, I don't love you for the right reasons. I'm not in love with you. I'm sorry, but you asked for the truth, and there it is. I don't love you the way you love me. I'm sorry now that I ever asked you to help me conceive a child. I should have known that it would be courting disaster, and it was, only worse. I lost everything. I feel like I've been given a second chance at life, and I want to make it count. I want to make a fresh start with Matthew. That little boy deserves it."
Sam started crying. "Stinger! You can't mean that! I love you enough for all three of us! You can't do this!" Sam's nose started to run.
"Yes, I can, Sam, and I will. I won't live a lie. I don't love you, not the way you want to be loved. It's over, Sam. Please don't make it harder than it has to be." Nora patted his hand.
Sam wrenched his hand away. "This is about Bo, isn't it? I should have known! You want Matthew to be Bo's son so you can get back together with him!" Sam's face was turning red, and his nose was running like a faucet. He sniffed loudly.
"This has nothing to do with Bo, Sam. This has to do with me, and my desire to make a good life for my son. That's all. Please just accept it, okay? If you are Matthew's father, I'll make sure that you get to spend your fair share of time with him, and that you're involved in his upbringing. That's the best I can do right now." Nora tried to smile. Sam wasn't making this easy.
"Don't lie to me, Nora! I know you still love Bo! Are you going to fix the test so this time it says that he's the father? Shall we go for two out of three?" Sam was furious. He was losing Nora already, and he was panicking. He felt like his life was spinning out of control.
Nora had had enough. "How dare you, Sam Rappaport? You have some nerve! As I recall, you're the one who manipulates and keeps secrets! Remember Lindsay and the sperm test? Remember how you kept that a secret from me for months? You probably would have kept this from me too, but Bo spoiled your plans. How can you really expect me to be in love with you when you're so insecure you feel you have to do things like this? You've gone too far this time, Sam!"
Nora was shocked at Sam's behavior. She couldn't believe she was finally seeing his true colors. She wanted to kick herself for getting involved with him again. Sam had seemed so unselfish two years ago when he had offered to help her conceive a child for Bo. She should have known from the beginning it would never work. Nora accepted full responsibility for cooking up that crazy, hare-brained scheme, and yeah, she did have a little help from Asa. But she had been so desperate to bring Bo back from his grief over Drew's death that she would have done anything to reach him. If only she could turn back the clock.
How did this all go so terribly wrong? Lindsay, that's how. And it was Sam's fault, too. He had betrayed her by keeping Lindsay's secret instead of telling her and Bo the truth. Maybe if they had found out sooner, they wouldn't be going through this hell now. It seemed that everything Sam did was with an agenda, and Lindsay was never far behind. Nora was sick of it.
Nora was furious with Sam, but she would never admit to him that she was still in love with Bo. What did it matter if Bo wasn't in love with her? Nora would just have to bear that burden alone. And Bo wasn't the reason she didn't want to be with Sam. Well, he wasn't the whole reason, but Sam didn't need to know that. Nora just couldn't take it any more.
"As a matter of fact, Sam, I don't need you to take another DNA test. Bo and Matthew can test, and if they match, then fine, Bo is his father. If he doesn't match, then we'll know you're Matthew's father. Is this the way you want to handle it? You're gonna leave me no choice if you keep behaving this way. Please, Sam, can't we be adults and be civil about this?" Nora was tired. She wasn't going to change her mind, and Sam needed to accept it.
Sam was frantic, but he could see Nora was serious. He'd better let it go for now. He was thrilled when at that moment Larry came in with Matthew. Larry put Matthew down on the bed next to Nora. She hugged and kissed him and put her good arm around him.
"How'd he do, Larry?" Nora was hoping everything had gone okay.
"He did wonderful! He was quite a trooper, and I think the whole lab is in love with him. He's a great baby, Nora." Larry smiled.
"Of course he's a great baby, he's my son!" Sam preened. Larry ignored him.
"Since it's getting late, I'll have the results for you in the morning, okay? And I think you should be resting, too, young lady. You've had quite a day!" Larry gave Nora a mock stern look.
"Yes, sir, doctor, sir. I promise I will, just as soon as I kiss my baby goodnight. Thanks for everything, Larry." Nora smiled.
Larry walked out just as Bo was walking in. "Hey, Red. Hi, Sam. How did Matthew do?"
"Larry said Matthew did great, Bo. I gather Matthew has a new fan club consisting of the entire lab staff. Larry said he'd have the results for us in the morning." Nora squeezed Matthew and smiled.
"That's great, Red. I hope it's gonna be good news."
"Me, too. So how's Ben?"
"Yeah, how's my brother?" Sam sneered.
Bo looked exasperated, but he let the comment pass. "Ben's doing fine. He's holding up pretty well. I'm sure once we find a donor he'll feel a lot better. This has got to be pretty scary for him."
"You don't know what scary is, Buchanan! Scary is losing the woman you love and your child! You and your family just take whatever you want and you don't care who you have to hurt to get it! You wouldn't know what it feels like to be scared, you arrogant…" Sam was beet red and his dentures were clacking like a locomotive. He was tired of keeping his mouth shut.
Nora cut him off. "Sam Rappaport! You have no right to talk to Bo like that! None of this is his fault! It's no one's fault, except yours and Lindsay's! Okay, that's not entirely true. It's my fault too, for thinking that giving Bo your baby would be a great idea. I fully accept responsibility and the blame for that. But we can't change it. The past is the past, but I'll be damned if I let it ruin my present and my baby's future! You've gone way over the line, Sam, and I want you to leave. Now! Please take Matthew home. I can't stand this anymore!" Nora started to cry.
Sam was too disgusted for words. Would there ever be a time when Nora didn't defend Bo? Suddenly the room seemed to be closing in on him. He grabbed Matthew from the bed without even giving Nora a chance to kiss him good-bye. He glared at Bo as he walked out the door. "This isn't over, Buchanan!" The door slammed behind him.
Nora cried softly. Bo didn't know what to do. He wanted to make her feel better, and he was wondering what had happened between them while he was gone. It didn't sound like it had been too good for Sam. Bo was secretly thrilled that things between Nora and Sam were so rocky, but he wasn't about to blow his good fortune by rushing Nora with his feelings. He could wait.
Bo sat down and took Nora's hand. He didn't say a word. He just sat there and held her hand and stroked her arm.
Nora was very grateful to have a friend like Bo. Bo was a great guy. Nora knew men hated when women cried, but Bo was obviously very brave to have stayed and tried to comfort her. Could she dare hope that Matthew was Bo's son? Nora knew in her heart of hearts that if she had to choose between them, she would definitely want Bo to be Matthew's father. Nora cried harder.
Nora had never known love as intense, passionate, and satisfying as it had been with Bo. Bo was her soulmate, of that she was completely convinced. He had been her partner, her lover, and her friend, and she had desperately wanted to make a baby with him more than anything in the world. If only Lindsay hadn't happened onto the scene with her sick vendetta, there'd be no question about Matthew's paternity. Nora would have never slept with Sam otherwise.
Nora regretted her actions deeply. She knew how much she had hurt Bo. Nora wasn't going to kid herself about their relationship. Bo had made himself very clear. He said he didn't love her anymore, but that certainly didn't mean they couldn't raise a child together. People did it all the time. They were both capable and intelligent people, they'd make it work out, somehow. She would do the same if Sam were really Matthew's father.
Nora thought about Sam. He had already lost one son temporarily, and now he may lose another, permanently. Nora couldn't imagine what that must feel like. Sam had been there for her and for Matthew since before Matthew was even born. They had always assumed Matthew was Sam's child. Hell, they even had a DNA test that said Matthew was Sam's son. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to any of them.
Bo could see Nora was a million miles away, and he had no wish to intrude on her thoughts. She had been through so much. He simply caressed her arm and watched her eyelids get heavy. Eventually, the rhythmic stroking did its magic, and Nora drifted off into sleep. Bo gently kissed her on the lips and let himself out of her room. Tomorrow was another day.
To Be Continued…
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